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IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING SCRAP METAL.

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vTO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, LEWIS J.. ATWOOD, ot' Waterbury, in the county ot'- New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Bundling Scrap Metal previous to remelting; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part' of this specification, wherein-- Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus employed by me.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan at the line x xr; and

Figure 3 is a vertical section at the line y y.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts..

Large quantities of scrap metal, of almost every conceivable variety and form, particularly copper and brass, are remelted; but previously thereto, said scraps are cabbaged, that is, packed tightly into the form oi'` a ball or bundle, To effect this operation, an iron basin or mortar-is used in the following manner: Strips oi' metal are rst placed-over the mortar, and with the hand pressed down and made to conform to its shape. The upper ends of said strips are leit hanging over the sides oi" the mortar.` Scraps of metal are then placed upon its top and pounded down into it with an iron bar or sledge-hammer. When the mortar is filled, the upper end of the strips of metal are bent over inward and hammered down upon the scraps; this serves to holdthem together after being removed from the mortar while being transferred to the melting-pots or' crucibles. This operation is slow, tedious, and expensive; besides this, the workmen are very likely to be cut by the lsharp angles of the metal whilst it is being handled for cabbaging. In order to facilitate this process the scrap that is any way hard is annealed to make it as soft as possible.

The object of my invention is `the cabbaging of scrap metal with very little handling and with great rapidity. lVith my method the annealing may be dispensed with'. lhis I accomplish by means of a scrap-bex or receiver, into which the scrap is placed and compressed into a compact mass by a plunger that lls the receiver and is acted upon by a hydraulic press, or other competent power, so as to form'the scraps into a bundle or cabbage for their introduction into crucibles for remelting.

In the drawing, a represents a hydraulic cylinder, with a rain, bf c c are tie rods extending from the flanged head c, of the cylinder a, to the head-block al, that carries the plungers ef. Upon the head c is a carrierplate, g, with two openings, each of which is of a size and shape to receive the scrap-boxes L and c is a slide, introduced to cover openings in c at a point where the'bundles oi' scrap are delivered from the boxes or receivers z and t'. Then the scrap is of a loose and bulky nature, I use the large and small boxes or receptacles r and-t' in the following manner: When the empty box t is over the slide fr, (that being closed,) I rake or otherwise draw the scrap metal, or deliver it loosely, into the box L, which box is of large capacity, care only being required to prevent any of the pieces or scraps hanging over the edge. Ithen give the platega half rotation, and steady it by the introduction of a pin, o, or similar device. This movement brings theI scrap-box h under the plunger e, and over the upper end of the ram 6; the power is then brought into operation, which lifts the scrap-boxes h 1f, and the ram b filling the box h, the contents are compressed into a flattened mass', the ram b is lowered, and the plateg is again moved half a turn, bringing the box t back to the place of beginning; the slide lc is withdrawn, the mass of scrap is knocked through, the slide c is again pushed in, and the said flattened mass is introduced edgewise into the box or mould z', and a fresh supply of scraps introduced into the mould or scrapbox t, and the two moulds areturned around under the plungers ef, and their contents pressed, the one assuming the form of a flattened mass, as aforesaid, the other, by the second compression, being consolidated either into a globular form or an elongated bundle, according to the shape of the end of the plunger f; and a movable block may be placed in the bottom of the mould z' t'o properly shape the lower side of the bundle or cabbage. If it is desired to compress the scrap laterally as-well as by the direct action o' the plunger, the scrap-boxes or receptacles may be made ot' a tapering form, and the plunger made so that it can slide together (like :a hatblock) as it is forced into the smaller portion ofthe receptacle; in this case` a plate of steel will have to be ttcd at the lower end of the plunger to cover the openings between the parts oi' the plunger that move towards cach other in going down into the box. By my improvement the scrap can be cabbaged or biundled with great rapidity, and the mass is very compact in consequence of the'grcat pressure to which itis subjected, and that pressure acting lil'st one Way anni then* the other. When the scrap is of a. more compact nature, four or more boxes or receptacles may be employed of the same size, two or more being pressed while the others are beingl lled. The

great pressure renders it unnecessary to anneal the metal previous to cabbaging.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is "The bundling or 'consolidation of scraps of sheet metal by the means and substantilly as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 26th day of June, A. D. 1866.

L. J. ATWOODL Witnesses JOSEPH A. BUNNELL, SCOVILL N. PRITCHARD. 

